As the chief guard of the main Hirate family, Nogami Genji naturally would not come alone when assessing the level of the ronin.
Five or six warriors with shaven foreheads and similar attire stood behind Nogami Genji, all around the same height as Izusuke. They rested their hands on their sword hilts, staring indifferently at the chaotic crowd of ronin in the courtyard.
These people were all vassals or subordinates of the Hirate family, and some had even grown up together. Though there were military ranks between them, they remained quite congenial with one another.
At this time, seeing Izusuke with his sleeves tied up with a rope, these people all clicked their tongues simultaneously.
"Hey, isn’t Izusuke taking this a bit too seriously? After all, he was taught by Lord Genji from a young age!"
"Given his level of skill, even with one hand on the sword throughout, dealing with that rabble wouldn’t be a big problem."
"Exactly... They’re just a bunch of ronin without any concept of swordplay."
Nogami Izusuke’s level of skill seemed to be well known within the Hirate family. He was a distant relative of Nogami Genji and was trained in swordsmanship by Genji from a young age, owing to his natural talent. Up to this day, he even became the eunuch of the young master of the Hirata family.
Due to a shortage of manpower, he was called out to manage the ronin during this period when he wasn’t too busy.
Therefore, even though Nogami Genji heard all the talk behind him, he did not rebuke any of them.
The adrenaline-inducing and intimidating ’Ii-yah!’ cry erupted, a characteristic gesture of the ronin during battle.
But immediately after, the sharp clashing of blades resonated throughout the small courtyard.
The steel clashed, producing a piercing cry, accompanied by a stream of sparks.
One of the ronin randomly brandished a long sword for a direct assault, while Nogami Izusuke calmly lifted his wrist.
The samurai sword in his hand merely shifted angle slightly, completely blocking the opponent’s offensive path.
Logically speaking, this exchange should have ended with the ronin retreating without success. However...
"Hmm?... This doesn’t sound right!"
Originally thinking there wasn’t much to see in this fight, Lann, who was resting with his eyes closed against the wall in the back, suddenly opened his eyes at the sound of the blade collision.
His keen gaze focused on the two people on the field.
The confrontation lasted only a moment, but the attacking ronin, however, appeared like the one being attacked after the blade clash.
His sword hand swung wide open, leaving the frontline defense of his body completely vulnerable!
The next moment, Izusuke did not slash down with his weapon, but instead used the sword hilt to strike.
With a not too light nor too heavy thump, the first ronin sent onto the field was bumped into the group behind him, clutching his shoulder.
A clamor immediately arose, and those ronin who had originally looked down on Izusuke as just a ’little brat’ were now looking at him in shock and uncertainty.
The young warrior was unfazed, flicking his wrist, adhering to swordsmanship protocols to shake off nonexistent blood from the blade, and sheathed the sword.
"Two moves, disqualified. Please leave Hirata Manor before sunset."
Just like his crisp and neat swordsmanship earlier, Izusuke’s judgment was equally decisive.
The ronin hit in the shoulder showed a flash of anger across his blackened, chapped face.
But before he could utter a word, Izusuke’s calm gaze had already fixed on him.
"If you dare say even half a word more... I’ll cut you down."
This calm tone was not a threat, but a notification.
The gap between the ronin and warrior classes was immense; if a warrior explicitly stated the rules and they were violated, getting cut down would be only natural.
The ronin’s complexion twisted momentarily, before kneeling toward Izusuke, clutching his shoulder, offering a solemn apology posture, and then departing.
In the chaotic times, those without skills would have to learn to abandon their pride, otherwise, even the slimmest hope of surviving would disappear.
All, including Nogami Genji and the warriors he brought, as well as the remaining ronin, watched the defeated man leave, as if it was only natural.
Mercenaries, huh! Are you expecting to make money while standing as a mercenary?
Compared to these uninteresting ronin, Lann found Nogami Izusuke’s swordsmanship far more interesting.
"Being able to dismantle an enemy’s stance by just blocking... impressive indeed!"
The swordsmanship database in the Son of the Emperor’s memory was immense.
But swordsmanship as a skill divides into the techniques for use and for show.
For show techniques need no elaboration, so long as they’re pleasing to the eye.
For use techniques, by Lann’s observations, are mostly akin to the combat philosophy of the Bear School of Swordsmanship.
Which is essentially European swordsmanship.
This kind of slaughter technique from the Eastern cultural circle, as demonstrated by Izusuke, Lann, an Easterner himself, truly saw in person for the first time.
While novel, it also felt strangely familiar.
In the courtyard, the incessant clanking of swords filled the air.
The combat styles differed significantly from the world Lann previously inhabited, with ancient East Japan’s general wane in armor technology and materials resulting in lower average armor quality.
In his prior battles, the sounds of armor grappling, friction, and collision were muffled and dense.
Yet, here, facing blades with insufficient protection led to a generally more aggressive combat style.
Since, from their view, the best self-protection was making the enemy die!
If you thrust your blade into the opponent’s body before they do, you’ll survive! You’ll win! And vice versa, you’re doomed!
The hysteria of the East Japanese gave their combat thoughts a more resolute disposition.
The clash of blades crashed much sharper and harsher than the contention of armor!
Listening to it for too long even became grating on the ears.
Meanwhile, the number of ronin brushed aside by Izusuke increased continuously.
Despite having battled through over fifty matches consecutively, Nogami Izusuke’s breath remained steady, his body temperature stable, and even his stance steadiness improved.
Through Lann’s meticulous observation, not only did Izusuke avoid entering a state of physical exhaustion, but he seemed to have completed his warm-up!
This kind of stamina didn’t quite align with someone of his physique.
Combat is the most physically taxing activity; even mowing down the weak takes a toll.
Although the warriors of Hirata Manor lived better than civilians, they generally appeared lean enough to show their skeletal outlines.
After all, while their diet was better, they expended more during routine training and battles.
As the sun began its descent, coloring the sky in hues of a setting sun. Fewer than thirty managed to persist through ten moves by Izusuke.
It was Lann’s turn to enter the field, coming in from the rear of the queue.
"Indeed, the samurai from Iwami are distinct."
Simultaneously saying it with double meaning, Lann started walking toward the center of the field.
"The Iwami Ryu practiced by those from Iwami originates from the sword art lineage of Lord Yixin... It’s an unbeatable swordsmanship!"
Nogami Izusuke misconceived it as a compliment toward his swordsmanship, slightly bowing, then again assuming a stance.
Lann tilted his head slightly, said nothing.
"Could you lend me one of your swords? Your swordsmanship seems geared toward direct clashes, right? With my sword clashing with yours, the advantage would be too great."
Izusuke paused momentarily, then stood straight, bending toward Nogami Genji behind him.
"Sir, his sword might be a renowned one, truly unsuitable for training duels, lest it goes to waste."